Monthly Archives: February 2013

The much desired writing costume. Not with the wig though. That would be a bit much.

A while ago I wrote a post about the idea of adopting a writing persona and how that might help one become inspired to write. And if not inspired, at least become a person who writes (as opposed to a person who works all day, or who cleans the house, or who cooks dinner, etc). We have costumes for all parts of our lives that help us slip into those roles, so why not the writing role?

When I am at work I definitely wear a costume; it’s usually all black, some portion of which is tailored. This costume is meant to put me in the role of Art Dealer and convey to others that their tens of thousands of dollars should be given to me in exchange for fine art. That is in opposition to the costume I wear when I am, say, cooking dinner after work. The other night that costume was made up of black velour sweat pants a-la Jennifer Lopez circa early 2000s, an oversized purple T-Shirt (complete with permanent coffee stain) that said Des Moines across the chest, topped off by a printed green and white apron with a flounce around the hem. The cooking costume is for my eyes only for obvious reasons, but it is a costume nonetheless that creates a cheerful if mismatched persona, whether real or perceived.

Occasionally, I will put on a pair of expensive shoes that I don’t wear often or a fancy party dress that hasn’t seen a party in years to wear around the house while watching television or sorting through the mail. But I have yet to costume myself while writing. The cooking costume has been known to double as a writing costume, but really I think something more creative and imaginative needs to be donned for such an important task.

This past October I was walking down the street when a dress in the window stopped me cold. I wanted it. I still want it. I took a picture of it that I came across today on my phone and thought, “That is my writing costume!” I think if I wore that dress while writing, I would be inspired enough to write not only 18th century tales of romance that include horse drawn barouches, but modern fables that would utilize iphones or Face Time to move the story along. In that dress I could become something or someone that was not the conservative art dealer, not the mismatched cook, and not even the adorned lover of a lovely man (although I think this dress would be perfect for some real-life bodice ripping). And when I needed to take a break from writing to gather my thoughts I could take a turn around the living room, underskirts swishing with each step, to arrive at the perfect idea for my next chapter.

Maybe I need to inquire as to the availability of the dress. Maybe it would shroud me with a writing persona that would propel me into a colorful and imaginative story. Maybe I am putting off the inevitable writing and work that needs to be done by writing about a dress that might help me write…

The first thing that kept me from writing every day. Hawaii, January, 2013.

THE END PART: Over at Finslippy, Alice Bradley occasionally hosts a Practice of Writing course online. Yesterday was the last day of the most recent course, in which I “participated”. Basically, I sucked (suck?) at The Practice of Writing, the gist of which means (in the case of this particular course) writing for only fifteen minutes a day for five weeks. I did get some time in for writing, made a few new blog posts, and jotted down some new story ideas which for me is a HUGE thing. So maybe I aced the course in my own particular way, but the thing about writing right now for me is this: there is so MUCH to be seen and done and lived right now away from the computer that the idea of sequestering myself for even fifteen minutes sounds intolerable.

There’s a lot of world to see out there.

I guess there’s nothing wrong with that, except of course if I really want to write a book (which I WILL, just you watch me) I’m going to have to sequester myself for quite some time. But right now, life is calling me pretty hard and I am answering by soaking it all in. Eventually, I’m sure it will all flow out into a glossy hard bound book, available at your local bookstore and for $6.99 on Amazon with an audio version read by Jodi Foster and the movie rights optioned by Sophia Coppola after a bidding war amongst the giants of the film industry.

THE BEGINNING PART: That said, I have decided to commit to posting much more frequently on this blog to continue The Practice of Writing in my own way. I’ll try not to subject you to too much banality (that word seems stuck in my immediate vocabulary recall) and perk things up with photos and maybe some videos that don’t involve kittens cutely napping. Although, come on! Who doesn’t love those?

This photo has to do with the Valentine portion of this post, not the banal portion. I heart this photo.

In the past two weeks I have written three potential blog posts. After writing, rewriting, editing and rewriting some more, I was disgusted with the lack of creativity, interesting thoughts, and self-serving confessional crap that was the end result of each, that I haven’t posted any. And won’t.

I’d really like to get away from writing about myself whether it’s PMS, tapeworms ( wrote 1,000 words about a fictional tapeworm that resides in my gut!!??!!), what I’m feeling, or banal stuff like the challenge of changing the wiper blades on my car. I’d like to post about things that are important and relevant and might make someone think a new way about something. Anything! I keep thinking that one day all the self-confessions and banality will run out if I keep writing about them and then the important stuff will show up. That hasn’t happened yet. And maybe, for me, what is banal is actually important to write about. That’s not to say that I think I’m banal and unimportant, but maybe it’s the exploration of those parts of my life that are fuel for the end result of something great. Whatever the reasoning, it’s what I’ve got so I’ll use it.

On another note, today is VALENTINE’S DAY! I love this day and choose to celebrate it regardless of relationship status. It’s a day for loving, not just your sweetheart, but your family and friends. It’s sappy and sweet and you can make of it what you will, so I choose to make it special and not see it as the ONLY day to celebrate love, but yet ANOTHER day to recognize love in all its forms. It’s a day when most of the world is celebrating love and if we’re all thinking about love, then our collective consciousness is surrounding the globe with a big red heart. And there’s nothing banal about that.